Did you know that your skin renews itself approx. every 28 days. Facials can prepare the new skin cells to be healthier, by increasing the blood circulation under the skin allowing optimal healthy skin cells to develop, giving you a beautiful natural glow.

Facials can help smooth fine lines and promote collagen which helps prevent premature aging and wrinkles. Your lymphatic system that lies just beneath your skins surface will be manipulated to help decrease puffiness and aid in detoxification.

Facials provide exfoliation that smooths you skin, improves hydration and over all skin tone. But aside from your beautiful glowing radiant skin, facials allow you time to relax, which in itself is a great stress relief.

It is recommended that you have a facial every 4-6 weeks, but it is also recommended that you prolong the results of your facial by cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing and protecting your skin from the sun at home.

Sugar, honey, oatmeal and yogurt are all natural exfoliants that can be found at home.

Honey can reduce inflammation and helps to fight acne making it a great hydrating facial scrub.

Yogurt hydrates and exfoliates and soothes and smooths your skin. Apply plain yogurt to your face for about 20 minutes and then rinse.

Sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid which helps to remove dead skin cells. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with enough olive oil or your oil of preference to make a paste. Apply this to your face using a gentle circular motion then rinse well.

Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural moisturizer. Finely grind up one cup of oatmeal in a blender, stir in one cup of plain yogurt and 2 tbls of honey. Mix into a paste and apply to your face for 15 minutes and rinse well with warm water.

Remember before applying anything to your skin there is always a risk of an allergic reaction, make sure you do your research first and speak to an esthetician at your spa beforehand as they can recommend products that are better for your skin type once that have taken a look at your skin.

There are many elements that can damage your skins appearance from weather, stress, natural aging, and a poor diet. A facial treatment allows your face to absorb what it needs to replenish itself and will also provide you with a little bit of calmness in your busy life.

Having clear bright and healthy looking skin can put a skip in your step as we head into spring.

You can express yourself through the flowers you choose. During Victorian times, flowers took on an additional significance, as lovers would send messages to each other using different flowers, with each flower having its own meaning. It is believed that flower language actually began in Turkey during the 17th century.

For example, Roses represent everlasting love, Stephanotis is good luck, Zinnias represent lasting affection and Ivey signifies fidelity, but today’s tradition for the bouquet is really about added beauty and personal expression.

In ancient times, brides carried bunches of grains, herbs and strong smelling spices in order to ward against demons, angry spirits and bad health. Eventually, these bouquets were replaced with flowers. In Ancient Greece and Rome, the bride and groom wore floral garlands around their necks, signifying new life, hope and fertility. The groom is supposed to wear a flower that appears in the bridal bouquet in his buttonhole. This comes from the medieval tradition of a knight wearing his lady’s colours, as a celebration of his love.

According to legend, during the 15th century, people took their annual baths in May and would generally get married in June. Just to be on the safe side brides carried bouquets to mask the smell of body odour.

Today five of the most popular wedding flowers are; Roses, Calla Lilies, Hydrangeas, Peonies and Tulips.

For good luck 14th century Europeans tore fabric from the brides dress. It was believed that the bride was especially lucky on her wedding day. The piece of her dress was considered a “Good-luck keepsake”. The brides tossing of her bouquet was so she could extend a good-luck keepsake to her guests, but really it was also to avoid having her dress torn. It is considered lucky to catch the bouquet because it signifies by tradition and myth that whomever catches the bridal bouquet will be the next one married.

The Flower Shop at the Old Mill Toronto creates hand-tied European style bouquets from the sweet and romantic Victorian styles to the imaginative boldly exotic flower selections, each flower is lovingly selected to ensure your custom designed hand-tied bouquet meets your every expectation.

If you’ve never tackled stuffing and roasting a whole turkey before, or if you just need a refresher on cooking that perfect bird, this 101 cooking lesson is for you. A fresh turkey really does have a superior texture and flavour and it’s usually best to order ahead from your butcher or meat department to make sure you get the right size. If you are using a frozen turkey be sure to allow for plenty of thaw time to thaw in the refrigerator and never thaw at room temperature. The turkey for this recipe would take 2 1/2 – 3 days to thaw completely. Any stuffing you can’t fit in the bird can be cooked in a buttered casserole dish after the turkey comes out of the oven.

1. For the stuffing, melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add celery, onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add sage, rosemary, celery seeds, savoury (if using) and 1/2 tsp (2 ml) each salt and pepper; saute for 5 minutes or until onions start to turn golden. Pour in about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the stock and scrape up brown bits.

2. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl and mix with bread. Add enough stock to moisten stuffing (when you squeeze it, a handful should just hold together). Season with salt and pepper, let cool completely.

3. Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

4. Remove any giblets and parts tucked in cavity of turkey and reserve for the stock if desired. Rinse turkey inside and out with cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. You want at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between the turkey and the sides of the pan.

5. Fill cavity with the stuffing, packing lightly, but not to tight, in order to leave room for expansion when cooking. Bring legs together towards the opening of the cavity and tie with kitchen string. Lift the flap of skin at the neck and stuff the smaller cavity, if desired.

6. Combine melted butter, sage, rosemary and about 1/2 (2 ml) each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush all over the outside of the turkey.

7. Insert the probe of a meat thermometer between the leg and the breast with end of the probe into the thickest part of the thigh and without touching the bone.

8. Roast for 3 1/2 to 4 hours until thermometer for both meat and stuffing reads 180 F (82C). Transfer turkey to a large cutting board and cover loosely with foil to “tent”.

9. For the gravy, remove rack from roasting pan. Pour pan drippings into a large liquid measuring cup. Let stand for 2 minutes. Spoon off the fat that floats to the top of the cup, (an idea to speed up this process is to add ice cubes which will solidify the fat faster). Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml); discard remaining fat. Pour in enough stock to remaining pan juices to make 3 cups (750 ml) total liquid.

10. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Return the reserved fat to roasting pan and heat until sizzling. Add onion and sage and saute for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, while whisking to make sure flour is incorporated with the fat, for one minute. Gradually pour in the wine, while whisking. Gradually pour in the stock, keep whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer whisking often for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

11. To carve the turkey, untie the legs and spoon stuffing out of the cavities into a warm serving bowl, cover and keep warm.

12. Cut legs from turkey, inserting knife between the thigh joint and the body and using the knife to cut the meat while slightly wriggling the leg to loosen the joint. Carve meat from the thigh and serve drumstick whole if desired. To cut the breast meat position the turkey so the neck is farthest away from you. Make a cut along the breast down the centre of the turkey starting from the neck and working towards you an dkeeping the knife blade as close to the bone as possible, carfully cutting themat away from the bone in one large piece. Transfer the large piece of breast to a cutting board, then cut cross wise into slices. Repeat on the left side. Cut wings loose from the body, wiggling loose as you did the legs.

Finally you are ready to serve the turkey with the hot gravy and stuffing alongside. Refrigerate any leftovers within 1 hour. Enjoy this meal with a nice Pinot Noir, the soft tannins and earthy, berry fruit notes provide the right combination of flavours for this dish or a nice Chardonnay, another favourite with a turkey dinner.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and brown loins evenly on all sides. Add chopped garlic and rosemary and transfer to the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes or until cooked to desired colour. Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest. Season to taste. Deglaze sauté pan with a generous amount of port wine and allow to reduce over medium heat until the liquid has reached a syrupy consistency. Set aside but keep lukewarm. Drizzle finished lamb dish with rosemary port reduction. Serve with prosciutto wrapped white asparagus, butter sautéed fiddleheads, Jerusalem artichoke gratin, and minted rhubarb chutney.

Trim any brown ends of the fiddleheads and pull off any remaining skin. Wash very thoroughly under cold water. Blanche in boiling water for approximately one minute. Pull from water and strain and pat dry with paper towel. In a sauté pan over medium heat sauté the fiddleheads in butter and garlic. It’s okay if the butter browns slightly. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine sugar and cider vinegar and bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb and bring to a soft boil. Cook until rhubarb is tender and mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Cool, incorporate chopped spearmint, and serve at room temperature.

Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Blanche in boiling water for approximately one minute. Pull from water and apt dry with paper towel. Season asparagus with cracked black pepper and roll two spears each in a single slice of prosciutto leaving the tips exposed. Line in an olive oil greased roasting dish and roast until prosciutto has become browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes and boil them in salted water until they are fork tender, about 10 to12 minutes. Drain, cool, and then cut into 3/8 inch slices and toss with chopped sage and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Butter an appropriate sized baking dish and fill with the Jerusalem artichokes. Dot the artichokes with butter cubes and drizzle with cream. Combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the artichokes. Bake at 400 degrees until the breadcrumbs are nicely browned, approximately 20 minutes.